


Unable to Sleep

by romanticalgirl



Series: Graduation Present [25]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-10
Updated: 2014-02-10
Packaged: 2018-01-11 20:24:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1177531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romanticalgirl/pseuds/romanticalgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Originally posted 2000</p>
    </blockquote>





	Unable to Sleep

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted 2000

The soft light of the fading sun bathed the main room of Angel's mansion in a golden glow. Angel himself stood back in the shadows as Buffy opened the front door. Randolph Giles stood there, staring at his son's Slayer. "Good evening, Buffy."

"Not anymore." She stepped back, allowing him to enter the room. Marguerite and Evan stood behind him, both smiling. 

Marguerite hugged Buffy. "Sorry we're so early." 

"It's okay. Willow and Giles aren't here yet, but you're welcome to come in and relax until they get here." She gestured toward the couches. "Would you like something? There's tea, water, milk"

"Blood?" Randolph asked, glaring into the shadows. 

"Hey, hey! The party train is here." Xander poked his head in the door. "We're not vamps, but we thought we'd ask permission to come in." 

"No one would make you immortal, Xander." Angel noted as he stepped into the room. "I can't imagine anyone making you a vamp. Most of us aren't masochists." 

Cordelia followed Xander inside. "At least now I know what's wrong with me." 

Faith and Oz joined them, all crowding into the room. Looking around, Oz raised an eyebrow. "Where are the guests of honor?" 

"Knowing them?" Faith smiled knowingly. "Will's probably got old tweedy tied down to the bed and"

"Good God in heaven, Faith. Stop there." Xander' s eyes were wide, a perfect compliment to his slightly green face. 

"Yes Faith, " Giles drawled. "Do please stop there." 

Willow, a vivid shade of red, squeezed Giles' hand. "Please?" she asked squeakily. 

Evan stood up and walked to the doorway that led to the garden. "It's almost dark." 

"My parents aren't here?" Willow sighed. 

Buffy moved over and put her arm around her friend's shoulders. "They'll be here, Will. You're their only daughter. They're not going to miss any of wedding stuff." 

"I know," she nodded. "I justthe longer I wait, the more I worry." 

"Did you cast the spell?" 

"Yep. Protection is in place. I just hope it's enough. I'd hate to have to explain why you're staking our uninvited wedding guests." 

"That's Faith's job. As maid of honor, I forfeit the slayage." 

"That wasn't quite my point," Willow began. 

"I know, Wills. But please don't worry. Even the Hellmouth knows better than to mess with your wedding." 

A knock at the front door interrupted Willow's reply. Xander opened it, allowing Ira and Sheila to join everyone else. 

Evan nodded out toward the garden. "The sun has fully set. Shall we move this outside?" 

Randolph stood, extending his hand to his wife. Marguerite stared at it in shock for a moment before taking it in her own. 

Willow's parents followed them out, leaving the Scooby gang alone. Taking a deep breath, Willow smiled at them all. "It means the world, having my best friends here." 

"Yes," Giles smiled. "It does indeed." 

***

Evan positioned Cordelia, Angel, Faith and Oz near the cliff side, looking out over the city. Buffy watched, as they stood there in the light of the half moon and remembered the last time she and Angel had stood there together. At that moment, everything had seemed like a fairy tale as the snow blanketed the city and buried their problems. 

The snow melted, the problems had resurfaced. But they'd managed to go on, somehow. They'd managed to keep the love between them, despite everything. She smiled as their eyes met then turned her attention back to Giles' cousin. 

"All right, I need Xander in front then Giles, flanked by the parents. Next would be Buffy, followed by Willow and her parents." Evan nodded as they got into position. "Before we do anything tomorrow, Angel, Oz, Giles, Randolph and Ira will all come to a room where Willow will be waiting. Giles will place her veil over her face then we'll have the four of you walk out and pick up the chuppa. Once that's done, I'll walk out, followed by everyone in this order. Any questions?" 

Xander started to speak, but Giles shook his head. "About what you're supposed to do, Xander." 

"Oh. No." 

"Then we'll walk up to the chuppa. Giles will stand on the left, Willow on the right. Note that this is different from Christian ceremonies. Buffy you'll stand to Willow's right, Xander you'll be at Giles'. Then we'll do the service and we'll be done. Shall we practice?" 

The group nodded and Evan walked them through the paces twice. Willow and Giles both were quiet, neither saying much except to answer questions. Buffy stepped closer to her friend. "Are you okay? No second thoughts or anything? Because I've already paid for my dress and I can't return it. And I really doubt I'm going to have anything else to wear it to." 

"No, only first thoughts. I'm just thinkingI'm getting married tomorrow." She looked over at Giles and smiled, her heart beating fast and hard in her chest. "It's kind of new and strange." 

"And good." 

"Very good." She smiled. "You know, Giles is staying at the hotel tonight. You want to come and spend the night?" 

"A girl's night? The night before your wedding?" 

She shook her head. "Not a girl's night. A best friend's night. I didn't have a bachelorette party, so I thought you and I could whoop it up a little. Andand I thought"

"You want to invite Xander, don't you?" Buffy smiled and hugged her friend. "I think that a night of bad Indian television would be good for us." 

"Do you think Giles would mind?" 

Buffy sighed and looked over at her Watcher. "I think he trusts you, Wills." 

She smiled. "I think so too." 

Evan shrugged his shoulders and looked around at everyone. "Well, that's it. The ceremony will begin at sunset. Do try to be here on time." 

"Rupert," Randolph nodded at his son. "Your mother and I would like to take you and your cousin out for dinner. If that's all right with your fiancée?" 

Willow nodded. "I was going to do something with Buffy." She ran her hand along Giles' cheek and stood on tiptoe to kiss him. "I'll see you tomorrow?" 

Giles felt his chest tighten at the thought of leaving her, even for the night. "You'll do more than see me, I would hope." He kissed her back gently. "I love you." 

"I love you too." 

Everyone stood silent for a long moment, watching them. The love they shared seemed, for that space of time, to be palatable. Finally, Willow stepped back out of the circle of his arms. "Good night." 

The group broke up then, Willow's parents following Giles' family back to the mansion. Willow looked at her friends and smiled. "Would you guys like to come over for a while?" 

Angel shook his head. "I've got some phone calls to make, business to do. Cordelia? Do you think you could help me?" 

She nodded, smiling at the slight relief in Willow's eyes. "Sure." 

"Faith? Oz? Xander?" Willow asked softly. 

"I've got patrol tonight," Faith shrugged. "Thanks though." 

Oz shook his head as well. "Sorry, Wills. I have band practice. But we'll see you tomorrow." 

"Right," the others all added as they walked away, leaving the Slayer and her two original Slayerettes alone. 

Willow took Buffy's hand in her own and held the other out to Xander. "You're my oldest friend, Xander. Are you going to turn me down?" 

"And miss a great night of Indian television and popcorn? Not on your life!" He laughed and took Willow's hand. "Let's go terrorize Giles' apartment." 

"I have to clean it, you know," Willow pointed out. 

"You sure know how to spoil my fun, Wills." 

***

Xander followed Willow into the kitchen quietly, determined not to wake Buffy. He sat on the counter next to the refrigerator as Willow poured more soda for both of them. "I can't believe you're getting married tomorrow, Willow. Who told you that you could grow up and leave me?" 

She looked up at his serious voice and set the soda bottle down. "I'm not leaving, Xander. I'm still going to be here. I'm still going to be your friend. I'm still going to be"

"You're not ever going to be my Willow again." He refused to look at her, instead staring out the small window across the room. "You were my Willow for eighteen years and now I have to give you up." 

"A part of me will always belong to you, Xander. You helped make me who I am, the woman Giles loves. The woman who loves him." She moved over and stood next to him, trying to meet his eyes. "I'll always love you, Xander. Nothing will ever change that." 

He finally looked at her, a tremulous smile on his face. "I didn't think it would be so hard. I mean, you've been with him for over a year so I've had plenty of time to get used to it. But, I guess" he stopped, blushing profusely. 

"You guess what?" 

"I guess I thought, somewhere deep down, that you were going through a phase of some sort. I thought he was just a learning experience." At her look, he held up his hands in defense. "Not consciously, Willow. I mean, I know you two love each other. I guess I just thought if I believed that it might be true and I might have a chance to show you how much you've always meant to me." 

"Xander, I've always known how much I mean to you." 

He slid off the counter and took her hands in his. "I'll always be your best friend, Willow. No matter who you're with, who you're married to, who you love. You're never getting rid of me. I don't care how hard you try." He leaned forward and pressed a soft, friendly kiss to her lips then pulled away. "I'm going to go put Buffy to bed." 

"Okay." 

"I thought you two could sleep on the bed and I'd take the couch." 

"There's a chair in the bedroom, it's a recliner. You could sleep up there if you want." 

"Thanks Wills." He touched her cheek, noticing the tear that had started to fall. "You're crying?" 

"I'm growing up." 

"If it's any help at all, when I look at you, you're still a four year old with pigtail braids and a pair of red overalls that were about a foot too long for you." 

She smiled. "It does, Xander. Thank you." 

***

Giles collapsed back on the bed of the hotel room he was sharing with Evan for the night and sighed heavily. "Surely I'm adopted?" 

"It wasn't that bad." 

"Do you realize he didn't call her Willow the entire night? He called her Wilma. Very deliberately." 

"You actually sound surprised. Which surprises me." Evan stretched out on his bed. "He hates the fact that you control your own life. If he had his way, you'd be a slave to the Watcher's Council; you'd be the perfect little lapdog. You'd be marrying your second cousin, twice removed and you'd have strange children with tainted genes." 

"You're my second cousin, twice removed, aren't you?" 

Evan laughed. "In his scenario? You'd be better off if I was. I think its Hildeguarde that you'd be matched up with." 

Giles thought of the woman Evan mentioned and shivered. "Can Willow and I elope right now to avoid that fate?" 

"I always thought I would be a Watcher." Evan's voice grew serious. "Then, when I saw what you went through - the schooling, the training, the harassment, the disappointmenttheother things, well, I was a little relieved it was you that was called. I like my calling much better. It's far safer dealing with the perils of heaven than those of the Hellmouth." 

"Some days, I wish nothing more than that I had never been called. It's the hardest thing, sending a young girl out ever night to face the nightmares that society doesn't believe are real. It's like a constant ache to know you could very well be sending her to her death." 

"But, like the overachiever you've always been, you had to make it harder, didn't you?" Evan turned on his side to look at his cousin. "You had to have the only Slayer in the world with friends. And you had to like those friends, care for them and, in Willow's case, fall in love with them." 

"Well, I certainly didn't do it on purpose. I'm not that much of a glutton for punishment." 

"Really?" Evan's eyebrow shot up. "Not from the stories I've heard." 

"Don't believe everything you hear." 

"Right. Like those rumors and lies about vampires being real?" 

Giles pushed off the bed and headed for the bathroom. "Go to sleep, Evan." When his cousin started to respond, he looked back sternly, a look he'd perfected in the Sunnydale High library. "Now." 

***

Willow sat up in bed, looking down at Buffy. The Slayer was sleeping soundly, her hair like white gold in the moonlight. Cautiously getting out of bed, she crept over to Xander, sprawled out in the chair. His mouth was open slightly and he was sighing happily in his sleep.

Grabbing some clothes, she walked carefully down the stairs, dressed, scribbled a quick note, grabbed a cross, a stake and her keys and slipped out the door. 

***

Giles shoved the covers away from his warm body and swung his feet over the side of the bed. Evan's soft, even breathing told him his cousin was still sleeping. Gathering his clothes, he moved quietly into the bathroom and dressed in the dark. 

Grabbing the room key off the dresser, he ducked out the door and started for the elevator. 

***

The library was dark and silent. Willow felt the door swing shut behind her as she stepped deeper into the room. She turned, the cross in front of her, as the door swung open again. Giles stood there, the surprise on his face mirroring her own. "What are you doing here?" 

"I couldn't sleep." She placed the cross in her pocket and moved into his arms. "You?" 

He held her close to him, reveling in the feel of her warm body against his. "The same." He pulled back so that he could look down at her. "What brought you to the library?" 

"My home away from home." Her green eyes seemed to sparkle, despite the bad lighting. "What do you think it means that you and I are here together?" 

"I think, Miss Rosenberg," he lifted her, carrying her to the research table. Setting her on it, he moved easily between her legs. "That it means you and I have some unfinished business to take care of before we get married tomorrow." 

"Unfinished?" She moved closer to the edge of the table, wrapping her legs around his. 

"This is where and how it all began Willow." He bent his head so that he could place heated kisses along her neck and shoulder. Tugging her sweater out of the way, he ran his tongue along her collarbone, smiling to himself as he heard her soft moan. "Shall we reconfirm what started that night?" 

She captured his head in her hands and held him still as she kissed him. Her tongue delved between his lips, tasting the sweet moisture of his mouth. Moving closer, Giles pressed his pelvis against hers, grinding his bulging erection against the apex of her thighs. 

Willow's hand slipped over his shoulders to the material of his jacket. Pushing it off of him, she felt and heard it crumple to the floor. His arms were bare and she pulled away from the kiss to look at him. He was wearing his undershirt and his slacks. "You're almost naked." 

Tugging his shirt from his waistband, Giles pulled it over his head and dropped it on the floor as well, "I can remedy that." 

Laughing with delight, Willow slid off the table, her body tight against his as her feet reached the ground. "Right here? Or should we move this somewhere else?" 

He smoothed his hands down her back and gathered the bottom of her sweater. He removed it slowly, sighing as the heat from her body warmed his naked flesh. "Wherever you wish, little one. But I rather fancy taking you here on the table top." 

"Christening Buffy's library?" Willow smiled as she wound her arms around his waist. Her bare breasts were crushed against his chest and she slowly began to rub her hard nipples through the rough hair. 

Giles sighed happily, his hands returning to her waist and unfastening her jeans. He guided them over her hips, kissing her with satisfaction as he heard them fall the rest of the way to the ground. Lifting her nearly naked body, he lay her down on the table. His eyes caressed her as he took in her pale, velvety skin, her wide, dark green eyes and the smile of anticipation she wore. "Would you like a blanket or something?" He asked softly. 

Willow shook her head. "You keep me warm." 

Using just his fingertips, Giles trailed his hand along her leg, stopping when he reached the sensitive skin of her thigh. She moaned softly, her body squirming under his touch. Her eyes were focused on him as he helped her lift her hips so that he could slide her panties off of her. 

Watching his every move, Willow marveled at the man who was going to be her husband. She loved the tangle of brown hair that matted his chest, the pale skin that showed his scars and bruises so easily, the dark line of hair that trailed down his stomach to his pulsing, throbbingshe shook her head and sat up as soon as Giles had removed her last piece of clothing. "I'm feeling lonely." She reached for him as he came around the table and caught his waistband. 

"Lonely?" He tried to look offended, but found it difficult with Willow's practiced hands unfastening his slacks. "With me right here?" 

She slipped off the table and pushed the slacks and boxers to the ground. Kneeling before him, she ran the tip of her tongue along the underside of his cock, smiling as it twitched in response. "You could be closer." 

He stepped back from her tongue, eliciting an uncertain cry from her. He extended his hand and pulled her to her feet. "I want to play. It's my last night as a single man, shouldn't I get my last fling in?" 

She let him guide down to the floor, where it would be more comfortable. He grabbed his jacket and balled it up, placing it under her head as a pillow. "I'm okay without it. You're jacket's going to get all wrinkled." 

"I plan on making you come so hard you leave the floor, love. I'd hate to see you hurt your head on the way back down." 

"Oh. Oh my." 

Giles moved closer to her feet and wrapped his hand around her ankle. Raising her leg, he kissed each of her toes, smiling as she giggled. 

Moving between her legs, he kissed the delicate arch of her foot before trailing kisses up her calves to her knees. Giles ran the tip of his tongue along the back of her knee, listening as the giggles became whimpers and her legs moved further apart in anticipation of his further exploration. 

Running his hands along her legs, Giles nuzzled the hot flesh of her inner thigh. The whimpers gave way to moans of need and pleasure as his breath and tongue reached her center. 

Willow's fingers threaded through his hair as he devoured her, his tongue dancing around the hard nub of her clitoris before diving into her damp channel. 

She arched upwards, her hips leaving the floor as he removed his tongue and thrust a finger inside her. "Rupert!" She cried out as his tempo increased. She gasped his name with each stroke as his hand plundered her. 

Her muscles tightened around his invading fingers, as she grew closer to her release. As she reached the cusp, he moved away, leaving her panting with the need for fulfillment. 

"Rupert?" This time it was a question combined with a silky threat. 

He shook his head and moved so that he could lie beside her. Supporting his head on his hand, he looked down at her. Willow licked her lips as she watched him. He caught her hand in his and raised it to his lips. "You know," he whispered, "The Jewish ceremony doesn't say everything I want to say." 

"You want to have a serious discussion while I'm in this state?" Willow asked, rubbing her thighs together in a desperate attempt for release. 

"For example," Giles moved closer to her and took one of her erect nipples into his mouth. He rolled the nub across his tongue for a long moment before releasing it. "It doesn't let me say that no matter the vampire, demon or prophecy, I will always come home to you." 

"We could write our own vows," she breathed as he released her hand and bought his down to cup and massage her breast. 

"And not invite your parents?" He asked quietly before continuing his thought. "I won't get to tell you that nothing - not magic, not evil, not fear - will come between us." 

His hand traced symbols on her stomach as it slowly made its way down her body. "You don't have to say the words for me to know all of this, Rupert." 

Slipping his hand off her stomach, he placed it on the opposite side of her and levered his body over hers. "I, Rupert Giles, take you, Willow Rosenberg"

"I wish you would take me." She moved her hand between them to stroke the hard length of him. 

He closed his eyes as a tremor of desire ran though him. "I take you for Bezoars or for werewolves, for reptiles or for preying mantises, in Sunnydale or in Hellmouth. All that I am, I give to you." He thrust into her hand and she guided him to her slick opening. He entered her, the smooth tip bathed in her arousal. "All that I fight, I fight for you. All that I can be, I will be for you. All that I lovesimply is you." 

Willow gasped as he buried himself inside her. Tears of love coursed down her flushed cheeks as he gathered her in his arms and held her tightly. 

She turned her head and met his lips with her own, the salty taste of her tears trapped between them. When she pulled away, her green eyes shone. "I can't say it as beautifully or as eloquently, but I love you with everything in me." 

"I'm in you, love." 

"Guess that makes you a narcissist." She kissed him quickly as he started to move, thrusting into her with long, deep strokes. 

They made love silently; words useless now as sweat and tear dampened flesh came together and separated again and again. 

His cock filled her and his easy thrust teased against her clit with every stroke. Quickly their movements grew frenzied, hips meeting, tongues tasting, breathing changing until Willow braced her feet against the floor, arching her back and grinding against him. 

Her harsh, raspy cry as she climaxed sent Giles into a frantic pace, thrusting into her orgasm until he too lost control. 

Sinking slowly back to the floor, Willow struggled for air. "I love you, Mr. Giles." 

"And I love you, Miss Rosenberg." He glanced at the clock behind the circulation desk. "At least for another fifteen hours." 

"What do you intend to do then?" She asked as he moved off to her side then gathered her in his arms. 

"Well, by then, I plan to be madly in love with my wife." 


End file.
